Dragon's Lair
Step onto the set of “Dragon's Lair,” a reality television show where fairytale entrepreneurs pitch their new ideas and products to the richest and most powerful business investors in all the land. The Dragons, named for their ruthless business practices, include Rumpelstiltskin, a gold-obsessed goblin who spun his way to riches; Evil Queen, inventor of Magic Mirror and dungeon torture devices; Fairy Godmother, a lifestyle guru and magical matchmaker; and notorious outlaw philanthropist Robin Hood. If the Dragons hear a great idea, they’re ready to invest, using their own gold. But, if no one is interested, those who have failed to make a deal will be taken to meet a real fire-breathing dragon, Azriel the Tormentor. He’s a vicious beast who is chained up in his monstrous pit, waiting to offer his own fiery brand of business advice. Whose idea will get an investment? Whose dreams will go up in flames? In the “Dragon’s Lair” it’s either fly ... or fry. With a running time of just over an hour and a large, extremely flexible cast, this comedy is a satire of the popular reality television show “Shark Tank,” set in the world of fairytales. The production features lots of fun parts to perform and versatile humor to entertain children and adults alike.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
Katie B. Oberlander
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
I love watching the television show Shark Tank and one day I got to wondering what kind of companies might be run by fairy tale characters. I started to write scenes inspired by this idea, beginning with the Gingerbread Man looking for an investment for his meal delivery service “The Goody Basket” and the Boy Who Cried Wolf pitching his home security system “Cry Wolf” and the ideas just kept coming!
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
I love Goldilocks’ segment, “Power Porridge” because it calls for the actors to make a big mess slinging oatmeal all over the stage. In the first production of the show the audience gasped and laughed with delight as Goldilocks stuck a chair onto the surface of a table with oatmeal and proceeded to raise the table up by lifting only the chair. It turns out that oatmeal is very strong!
WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
The “dragon” characters in the play are parodies of the “shark” investors from Shark Tank but the funniest parts about them comes from their fairy tale personas. Rumpelstiltskin, with his obsessive love of gold, is a hilarious example of a profits driven investor and I like the idea of that the Fairy Godmother made all of her money through a lifestyle brand focused on wish fulfillment.
WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
I always try to create plays with lots of fun roles and “Dragon’s Lair” allows many actors to have moments to shine. There is also a lot of versatility built into the structure so actors can play multiple featured parts and/or return to the stage as supporting players in larger scenes.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
I hope you have as much fun performing in this play as I have had writing and developing it. It is truly one of my favorite creations!